When analyzing the Titans' offense, the first word that comes to mind is young. And I'm not talking Vince Young -- I'm talking about the roster full of players with three or fewer years of experience on the team.
The running back corps featured rookie Chris Henry and second-year rusher LenDale White until the team re-signed Chris Brown. He's 26 and in his fifth season -- and the oldest running back on the team.
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Chow, left, and Young should produce big numbers together in 2007.
(US Presswire)
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The situation at receiver is a little better.
David Givens is the "old man" of the group as he'll be 27 this August, followed by
Justin Gage (26). But Givens is hurt and Gage has never produced to the point where he would be Fantasy relevant.
For owners who love third-year receivers, the Titans are for you. Their three other primary receiving options are Brandon Jones, Roydell Williams and Courtney Roby -- all entering their third NFL season. Tennessee also drafted three rookie wideouts to help round out the group.
At tight end, Ben Troupe and Ben Hartsock are entering their fourth year while Bo Scaife enters his third.
At quarterback, Young is entering his second year, though his backups -- Kerry Collins and Tim Rattay -- are both grizzled vets.
To get a better understanding of the Titans, we dialed up their young-at-heart offensive coordinator Norm Chow. The former USC assistant and current playcaller of the Titans gave candid information about what to expect from his club. Best of all, Chow recently became familiar with Fantasy Football and was able to discuss his offense in such a way that should help any owner smart enough to read this.
Vince Young had such an amazing rookie season, and I know he has put high expectations on himself after last year. But what would you like to see from him this season?
Chow: Just overall improvement. I think it would be wrong to say, 'he needs to improve in this area' and 'he needs to improve in that area.' He needs to improve his overall game. The way I put it is, I think he needs to elevate his entire game to another level. He didn't throw for a very good percentage last year, so he needs to work on his consistency in completions, first downs and third downs.
Has he done anything in camp that has made you believe that he will be better this season?
Chow: Yes. I think he's got a much better grasp of what we're trying to accomplish. He's got a better rapport with the other members of the offense.
Were you impressed that he brought his receivers with him to work out in Houston?
Chow: I think it was great. He did it with the right reasons in mind. He wanted to go home for a little bit and thought that so much was expected of him that he took some of his receivers with him. He did it to try and get himself better.
Considering the makeup of your offense, does he have a shot at being a 3,000-yard passer and a 1,000-yard rusher?
Chow: I don't know about that. We want to be able to run the football. We want to hand the ball off. And you know we're not as worried about those kinds of things as you are.
Understood. Speaking of running the football, we loved the Chris Henry pick. Was it a "pro" for you guys that Henry didn't play as much as other first-day running backs in college?
Chow: Well obviously he's a lot fresher, but on the other hand, there's probably a reason why he didn't. We did a nice job with our scouts to evaluate that situation.
What do you like about Henry?
Chow: I like his tenacity and willingness. He's a little bit behind because of not playing as much and not having a feel mentally for the run game, but his willingness to work hard puts him right up there.
Is there a plan in place for the regular season at running back between Henry, Chris Brown and LenDale White?
Chow: We've been alternating all of them and they've all looked pretty good. But I don't think we're ready to make that kind of decision right now. It will play out over the course of training camp.
A lot of people are trashing LenDale White for missing camp and showing up overweight. Considering all that, what kind of a chance does he have at getting a significant amount of work this season?
Chow: There's no question -- he's got a chance to be the starter. He's a very, very good football player. We've had a good hard week of OTAs, and he's done a nice job. He's a talented young guy -- he may be a sleeper in your Fantasy league.
The guy is very good. He's a big guy with good running back skills. Jerome Bettis-type skills but with a big body. He's a heavy-footed guy -- when he puts his foot on the ground, it's done with some authority. It's hard to tackle a guy like that. But he does have some running skills and is a very good catcher.
Remember the Rose Bowl when Vince beat USC? There was a fourth-and-1, and Reggie Bush was on the sideline. That ought to tell you something. When I had them both at USC, I would have put Bush out there, but LenDale would have gotten the ball.
A lot of people point to your receiving corps and say that it's not very impressive. Could you explain why those people are wrong?
Chow: Well, I think they're saying it because our receivers are so young and the top two guys statistically from last year aren't on the team anymore. But they're hard-working guys.
How has Brandon Jones looked in the offseason minicamps?
Chow: He's competing real hard, but don't rule out Roydell Williams and Courtney Roby. They're playing right at that same level. Roydell Williams is playing awfully well for us right now.
Three guys who are all entering their third NFL season. Could you tell us what you've seen from Williams and Roby?
Chow: They have stepped up this offseason. They're showing the consistency that we're looking for, the understanding of the offense, getting to the right spots in a hurry and that kind of stuff.
What about Justin Gage, a tall guy with really big hands?
Chow: He's made some big plays for us. I think he's going to be a playmaker. He can jump, he can run, he's a bigger target. I think he's had a good spring, too.
You picked up three more wide receivers in the NFL Draft, including rookie Paul Williams, who played both ways throughout college. What do you think he's capable of as a rookie?
Chow: He's a very talented guy, a big receiver that can catch and run. He missed a couple of days of minicamp because of that crazy college rule they have. I don't know if he's really overtaken that time missed, but he brings a lot to us because of his size and big hands.
Chris Davis, on the other hand, brings a real asset to us because we don't have that quickness we could use in the slot that we lost with Bobby Wade. Chris is going to be a good help as well.
Where I think you guys can have some success is at tight end. Bo Scaife was good last year, Ben Troupe has lots of potential and even Ben Hartsock can get into the mix. What are your intentions there?
Chow: We need them to be effective. Scaife is a good, solid player. We can play him at any spot we want to -- fullback, halfback, tight end, wide receiver. He gives us some flexibility. He's a smaller version of what people try to do with Antonio Gates, Tony Gonzalez and those kinds of guys. Troupe is an absolute player; when you think about coaching in the NFL, that's the kind of guy you think about coaching. He's 280 pounds, runs like a receiver, he's tall and is a nice young man. We just haven't had the productivity out of him that we need to get.
Is there anything that can change as far as offensive philosophy to get him more involved, or is it too late to add to the playbook?
Chow: No, it's not too late. We need to change some of it and gear things toward him a little bit more than we have been.
Finally, what are your goals for the offense heading into the season?
Chow: I don't know if we're going to be spectacular, but I think we're going to be consistent. We want to run the football and give Vince the ability to make some plays on his own. Consistency will be the key to how well we do.
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